Pinit
The Waldorf Astoria Chicago

At the end of last year I set a goal to elevate everyday tasks. Even if it was only a little bit, I knew it would make my experiences more meaningful. I knew it wouldn’t be possible every time or for every task, but I wanted to break up the mundaneness of the things we always do

Pinit Room service lunch at the Waldorf Astoria with Peppa the Pig.
Pinit Eating cookies at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Pinit A toddler dressed in pink arrives at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

For instance, Zelda and I go on weekend coffee dates so we can get out of the house and I can get my caffeine fix. But instead of going to Starbucks every single time, we began visiting Petite Margeaux in Waldorf Astoria’s lobby. I love when we go there because it makes a simple coffee run an experience for the both of us. We don’t get our order to go and instead, we sit in the pretty cafe sharing some giggles, and a pastry of Zelda’s choice. She loves it in there, so I get to drink my coffee out of a real cup at a somewhat leisurely pace — imagine that! This small change was the kind of thing I was looking for — an upgraded experience to our norm.

Pinit A little girl in a faux fur vest greets the front desk at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

As fantastic of an idea as this is, sometimes the best laid plans get thrown off. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m coming out of a January that was filled with thirty-one Mondays. The flu bomb went off in my house and whether you’ve had it or not, I don’t need to tell you how awful it is. Pair those gray days with a sick babe and you’ve got a severe case of cabin fever, and a midwinter rut. It quickly became more about functioning than elevating!

Pinit A toddler takes her room key for the Waldorf Astoria.

I know I’m not the only one who has been feeling that way, which is why I want to remind you of the power off the staycation. Sometimes getting away isn’t an option, and that is alright. You can still break monotony, refuel your tank and get a much needed reset. With that in mind, when the Waldorf invited Zelda and I for a one night getaway we gladly accepted! (And it turned out to be exactly what we needed.)

Pinit A toddler wearing a white faux fur vest and light pink crushed velvet boots.

I think there is a misconception that if you have a child with you, you can’t relax. Hotels are the answer to this. We all need a break from time to time, even if it’s just for 24 hours. This environment is ideal because it takes away all those things that make it hard to enjoy yourself or that you would otherwise be worrying about. You don’t have to make the beds, run down the street because no one told you they used the last roll of toilet paper, or even leave the room for dinner. You can chill and spend time with your babes.

Pinit A grumpy kitty bathing suit for toddlers.
Pinit A mother daughter staycation at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago.
Pinit A mother daughter duo from Glitter and Bubbles swims at the indoor pool at the Waldorf Chicago.
Pinit Mother Daughter pool time at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Pinit Zelda from Glitter and Bubbles wrapped in a towel at the Waldorf Chicago.
Pinit Kid-friendly room service at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

Look at this spread! Both my jaw and Zelda’s hit the floor when the food showed up to our room, and it was as yummy as it looks. The chicken fingers are Zelda’s, but when that burger showed up she quickly realized she had made a mistake and I ended up eating the chicken fingers!

Pinit A toddler eats French fries at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Pinit Bath time at the Waldorf Astoria with bubbles.

These fries got Zelda’s seal of approval multiple times, which resulted in multiple orders. She couldn’t believe she could eat them in the bathtub and thought that was THE BEST! Additionally, I was thrilled to see they had Salvatore Ferragamo bath products and thought that was the best. To each their own!

Fries in the bathtub was not the only rule we broke on our staycation! Zelda couldn’t believe we were jumping on the bed, and I couldn’t believe I forgot how much fun something that simple can be. We stopped because we were both laughing so hard at how much fun we were having.

Pinit Bubble baths at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Pinit A little girl at the Waldorf in pajamas.
Pinit A mother daughter sleepover at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Pinit Bed time at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

 

Sometimes a change of environment is all you need to switch things up and come away with a fresh perspective, and that is exactly what our staycation gave us.

Thank you to Waldorf Astoria for the wonderful stay and the memories.

Photo Credit: Hallie Duesenberg
Video Credit: Madalyn Doherty